Too many tourists, one-way in the Cinque Terre trail goes into effect

On the day that marks the beginning of the travel season by taking advantage of bridges and good weather, those interested in visiting Liguria should note down the dates when in the Cinque Terre one of the most beaten paths becomes passable in one direction: the Sentiero Verde Azzurro (SVA), on some days, can in fact be taken exclusively from Monterosso in the direction of Vernazza. This was the case yesterday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. And the same obligation is planned for April 26, 27, 28 and May 1. The reasons that prompted the Cinque Terre National Park to make this choice rest on “safety reasons.” The stretch in fact has passages with reduced width and steep development, factors that in the event of large crowds could lead to queues and potentially critical situations. The measure may also be extended to the weekend of May 4/5 to avoid the crossing of streams of walkers during the time of greatest use.

The measure, among the integrated initiatives envisaged by the flow study prepared by Mic Hub that Finestre Sull’Arte reported on last December, “responds to the dual need to improve fruition on the stretch and to prevent potential inconveniences caused by excessive pressure concentrated over a few hours, with consequences on the visiting experience, and with impacts on biodiversity and the dry stone heritage, guarded along the route.”

Park officials intend with this decision to pursue the primary objective of ensuring that carrying capacity is respected in order to preserve the integrity of the trails and habitats, “The measure has also been confirmed to ensure the safety of visitors.” “We are confirming again this year,” explained Cinque Terre National Park President Donatella Bianchi, “the application of the one-way system that last season allowed thousands of guests to appreciate the wonder of our territory in absolute safety thanks to a regulated and orderly access system. We have garnered appreciation from all visitors and this confirms the validity of an initiative whose viability is made possible by the excellent work done in coordination by the National Park staff, the women and men of the Cinque Terre Park Carabinieri Department, the Volunteer Ecological Guards, theNational Carabinieri Association, CAI and Mountain Rescue, and the ATI 5 Terre Consortium’s trail wardens, who have volunteered to ensure the best experience when visiting the Park for the thousands of people who choose it for their vacations.”

Details about how the walkability will be implemented were defined following theunanimous approval of the Board of Directors and at the technical meeting with the coordination group in charge of safety andinformation that, with the direction of the Park Authority, will be responsible for ensuring the monitoring of presences, regulating access on what remains the most popular outdoor destination for walkers visiting the Cinque Terre, especially coinciding with spring bridges. A large number of hikers are expected on the Park’s trail network, and the planning of extraordinary measures, to ensure safe walking and access control, had also been adopted last season.

The first control at the entrance to the Blue Green Trail will take place from Monterosso, with two garrisons, one near the historic center in the direction of Punta Corone and the other near the Park’s information point; on the Vernazza side, the garrisons will be distributed along the three access points to the trail in the main street of the town (Via Roma) and at the Park’s information point in Lama. Real-time management of passages already monitored by people counters on the main trails aims to have greater efficiency of intervention teams in case of accidents. In addition, safety will also be enforced for tourists with checks on proper clothing and footwear at the entrance gates of the main trails.

As for the other section of the SVA trail from Corniglia to Vernazza. travel will instead be permitted in both directions, as well as on the Park’s entire rich trail network of about 130 km of coastal, mid-coast and ridge trails and related vertical connections: “a veritable gateway to the mosaic of scenic and natural beauty of the protected area” that attracts 4 million tourists each year, and for this reason, Park officials seek to convey the caution that is needed with awareness of one’s abilities, appropriate clothing and respect for habitats. Information on the Park’s hiking network, updated in real time, can be found at maps.parconazionale5terre.it

Too many tourists, one-way in the Cinque Terre trail goes into effect

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